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Tag: family time

A holiday in paradise – ten blissful days in Rarotonga, in the beautiful Cook Islands.

Posted on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 by BritMumInNZ

With the days dark and short here in New Zealand we jetted off for some warmth and sunshine in the Cook Islands, just a three to four hour flight from Auckland. We have never visited any of the Pacific Islands and it was with great delight that we touched down on the runway in Rarotonga,…

Reflections on coming out of seven weeks of lockdown in New Zealand

Posted on May 13, 2020August 20, 2021 by BritMumInNZ

New Zealand moves to Level 2 tomorrow, after seven weeks in ‘lockdown’ due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Level 4 started with me away from my husband and three children, as a result of having recently returned from overseas and therefore needing to self-isolate for 14 days. I self-isolated in our holiday home, in rural Martinborough. My…

Reminiscing on the second half of 2019 and our summer highlights

Posted on April 19, 2020 by BritMumInNZ

Autumn is fully upon us here in New Zealand. The temperatures are still warm and the days mostly sunny, just noticeably shorter. Like most of the world our country is currently ‘in lockdown’ as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our surf boards and other wet play gear is all laying redundant in the garage,…

A hike in the Peak District National Park, from Edale to Chinley

Posted on May 30, 2017April 3, 2020 by BritMumInNZ

The day after arriving in the Peak District, at my sister’s house, we set out on a crisp spring morning (a chilly 7°C) with my parents and sister’s partner. We took the train, from Chinley to Edale, so we could hike back across the hills, covering nearly 400(m) of elevation gain in 12km (nearly 8…

Peak District loves with my folks in England

Posted on May 27, 2017May 31, 2017 by BritMumInNZ

The second part of my visit to family in England (part one here) was spent in the Peak District, with my folks, sister and her partner. In a short three day, four night visit we enjoyed an 8 mile hike from Edale to Chinley (blog post here), I ran my first fell run at Herod…

Loves from ‘The Lake District’

Posted on October 21, 2016October 22, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

Staying on the shore of Lake Windermere, at the YHA Ambleside, we spent three nights, and a few wonderful days, soaking up the beautiful scenery. We enjoyed hiking the countryside, taking a boat across the lake and visiting Beatrix Potter‘s 17th-century farmhouse ‘Hill Top. Our hike took us about 6 miles, from Wray Castle to…

Ludlow to Rhyl, North Wales

Posted on September 20, 2016September 26, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

On our drive up to Ludlow, Shropshire, from Hampshire, we stopped in at Berrington Hall, a National Trust Property. My folks are members, of the National Trust UK, and if I lived in the UK I would definitely be joining up too (it would be a dream to work for them!). Growing up in England…

A visit to Gloucester Cathedral

Posted on September 20, 2016September 20, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

Driving up to Ludlow, from Hampshire, we made a stop at the spectacular Gloucester Cathedral. It is steeped in history, having been a place of worship, in some form or another, for close on 1,000 years! Gloucester’s great Cloister, over 650 years old, is famous for its breath-taking fan vaulting, the earliest of its kind…

An afternoon in Windsor

Posted on September 18, 2016September 20, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

Windsor is a short drive from my folks home, in North Hampshire, and a few days after landing in the UK they took us to see Windsor Castle. We didn’t have time to look around the inside of the castle, but young Alice, aged 6, was more than content. She was delighted to have a…

Adventures in Pokemon Hunting (with my children)

Posted on August 22, 2016August 26, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

Pokemon Go hit New Zealand just prior to the winter school holiday break of 2016. The weather was surprisingly good and all of a sudden parents found that children were actually KEEN to GO OUTDOORS! Hubby and I were away in Australia with our three daughters, and found our phones suddenly turn into Pokemon Go…

Oruaiti Reserve, Wellington | Where history & coastal reserve meet

Posted on January 27, 2016February 29, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

It’s the day after I bid farewell to my dearest parents. As I write they are winging their way back to the UK, on the long-haul flights from New Zealand to the UK, via Singapore. A big part of me feels empty and numb, trying to stay focused and busy with my three daughters (in…

Family time at Lake Ferry, Wairarapa

Posted on January 16, 2016February 29, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

We visited Lake Ferry, on the south coast of the Wairarapa, over the New Year. It’s a place of incredible wild, rugged beauty and only a half hour drive from Martinborough. The small beach village, on the shores of Lake Onoke, is known for its fishing, particularly ‘white bait’, where Lake Onoke meets the sea….

My little ‘Wellington Wild Thing’ | exploring the great outdoors

Posted on January 8, 2016February 29, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

The weather in Wellington this summer school holidays has so far been very kind to us and it’s been perfect for getting outdoors and exploring the copious number of regional parks, town belts walks and nature centres. Having my parents to visit, all the way from the UK, has been an extra motivator to get…

My Sunday Photos | Gardens By The Bay, Singapore

Posted on August 2, 2015February 29, 2016 by BritMumInNZ

Gardens by the Bay, in Singapore, opened to the public in 2011. It is an amazing development, which brings to life a vision of creating a City in a Garden, as described in detail on the Gardens by the Bay website. Towering over the gardens is the ‘Supertree Grove‘, which made me think of the…

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Recent Posts

  • A holiday in paradise – ten blissful days in Rarotonga, in the beautiful Cook Islands. August 8, 2023
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration August 7, 2023
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon! May 10, 2023
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles! April 4, 2023
  • Celebrating a Birthday with a Meerkat Encounter! March 30, 2023
  • Summer holiday in Rotorua & Taupo March 29, 2023
  • Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington January 12, 2023
  • Summer highlights from the Wairarapa January 8, 2023
  • A long weekend with friends near Goat Island Marine Reserve January 6, 2023
  • It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – southern hemisphere style! December 23, 2022
  • Wellington Lantern Festival – in the spring rain December 18, 2022
  • Toast Martinborough – Wine and Food Festival December 16, 2022

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